Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Moon Temple (2)
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-Pyu~~!
"......Huh?"
Right then, something bizarre happened. With a pyu-pyuu~, Marshmallow hopped onto a small mound of dirt. It gathered the soil neatly with its stubby limbs and hugged the wilted weeds tightly. Suddenly, a blue light flickered.
'No way......'
Wondering if it was an illusion, I grabbed a handful of dirt again. It wasn't dry and crumbly—it felt moist and fertile. Marshmallow had revived the dead land.
'......If this works, I might actually pull it off.'
Touching the rich soil made my withered motivation spring back to life. I jumped to my feet and headed back toward the temple. Maybe there were some basic tools left inside for tilling the soil.
-Creak!
I flung open the temple door and began rummaging through the interior. Most things had been abandoned for so long that they were excessively worn and fragile.
-Rattle.
-Thud!
-Clunk!
-Clang~!
After searching the temple for who knows how long, I finally found a somewhat usable hoe. Only this primitive tool left behind...... It basically meant I had to tough it out with my body, right?
"Land lives off human care and effort."
I couldn't quite remember if it was my father or grandfather who said that—it was a story from when I was too young. I gripped the dusty hoe and stood up.
"Sigh, if only Ayla were here, digging would've been a breeze."
But this seemed like a trial meant solely for me. I had to till and nurture the soil myself. I glanced up at the sky for a moment.
"You're lucky I'm a son of Korea. You know how much shoveling I did in the army?"
Of course, no reply came.
With Marshmallow trailing me like a goldfish poop, I started tilling the land in earnest. Marshmallow...... no, calling it that forever felt off. With all the pyu~ pyu~ sounds, maybe Pyu? Whenever I hoed the ground, Pyu scurried busily over the turned soil. Astonishingly, the parched earth became moist and fertile. It was nothing short of miraculous.
'I have no idea what ability it has, but at this rate, I can definitely restore this place to its original state.'
The problem was, I had only one body, and Pyu had only one. The garden was vast, but we were just two workers—no visible progress at all. This was maddening. At this pace, it'd take at least a month, no, two?
'That would mess up my schedule.'
If I could just use skills, I could've restored this land in half a day. Why was my mana restricted? I glared at the darkness rippling at the garden's edge.
'Probably because of that.'
The darkness enveloping the entire Dark Forest. It felt especially strong around here.
Mana wasn't truly one's own power. It was like air or water, shared with the world. That's why it could be replenished after use—into the "vessel" of my "body."
But the thick darkness here blocked that flow. That's why I couldn't use skills...... and probably no one else could either. Even the gods not interfering was a bit odd, though.
'Still, I should do what I can reach for now.'
Staring at the setting sun, I slung the hoe over my shoulder. My vision sparkled.
[The sun is setting.]
[Avoid the darkness.]
Huh?
Checking the text and looking around, I saw darkness rushing in all at once. Damn, dangers on top of this when night falls? I scooped up Pyu and bolted for the temple. Slipping inside just before the sun fully set, I bolted the door shut tight and peered out a small window. The darkness swarmed in greedily, like wolves.
'Now I get why there's no caretaker here.'
No one could survive in a place like this. Except maybe monsters or beasts.
-Pyu!
Pyu burrowed into my arms, trembling. This wasn't its first time, apparently. Had it endured that darkness alone......? I stroked its fluffy head. It shook pitifully and wouldn't leave my embrace.
-Rattle!
-Thud!
-Clatter!
The darkness shook the surroundings as if trying to invade the temple. But thanks to the goddesses' power or whatever, it didn't enter. After double-checking the sturdy door, I relaxed and slowly inspected the temple's interior. Maybe there was something else useful.
"Oh, here's something."
I found seeds buried among dried petals. They looked like moonflower seeds, but unlike the ones I knew, they gleamed with a silvery sheen. Couldn't tell what they were until they bloomed fully.
Either way, precious seeds. I carefully tucked them into a cloth pouch and slipped it into my bosom. Once the soil was ready, I'd plant them.
-Growl......
Man, I'm hungry. I'd fed all my dried fruit to Pyu, so nothing to fill my stomach. No choice...... I clutched my empty belly and curled up in a corner of the temple to sleep.
The next day.
-Pyu~!
-Pyu~!
"......Huh?"
Opening my eyes, I was shocked to see Pyu in front of me......
"Why'd it double?"
There were two. What the hell? Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I poked them to check if I was hallucinating. Both had that marshmallow-soft texture. They're real?
"Asexual reproduction or something?"
I vaguely remembered learning in school about creatures that split in two when cut. Leeches? Nah, Pyu was way too cute for that. The thought of slicing it was horrifying. Probably some magic happened while I wasn't looking. Yeah, that's what I'd go with.
I unbolted the temple door and checked outside. The sun was up, so the darkness from last night was gone. Though the garden outskirts remained dim.
Stepping out, I saw unnamed sprouts emerging from the soil I'd tilled yesterday. Ah, hope springs eternal. Kneeling on one knee, I placed my hand gently on the ground. A pleasant warmth spread— the warmth of life. And......
'I can feel mana.'
Because life had returned? My body, which hadn't held even a nail's worth of mana, now had a tiny amount. Not much—enough for a few low-level skills? If I could use [Fertile Land] like in the dark elf village, great, but no, not that much. So...... [Beast's Might] or [Breath of the Forest] should work. That's plenty.
Even that would probably deplete after one use. But I needed to till, so [Beast's Might] it was. I activated the skill and gripped the hoe tight.
Alright, time for some insane digging. In a trance, like a draft ox, I plowed the dead soil over and over. Two Pyus followed, patting the earth, rolling around, doing whatever excitedly. The spots they touched quickly turned fertile, sprouts popping up.
Good, this way, as life returns to the land, my usable mana should increase too. By sunset, having exhausted [Beast's Might], I led the two Pyus back to the temple and locked the door. Now, time for darkness.
During the dark hours, I busily tidied the temple interior. Even if abandoned, it was a gods' temple—leaving it messy felt off.
'Hey, if the goddesses notice and bless me, even better.'
Couldn't deny hoping for some scraps. Humming, I wiped dust with a dry cloth and dozed off.
And the next day.
-Pyu~!
-Pyu!
-Pyupyu~!
-Pyu~!
"......Four this time?"
Doubling each time? What triggers it? Yawning widely, I poked the rolling Pyus. Still marshmallowy.
Besides more Pyus, another change: water filling the dried-up lake. Astonishing. The Pyus sipped some water delightedly and trailed me energetically. I dug like mad till sunset, tidied the temple at night. Monastic life? More like slavery. But watching the garden gain vitality and the temple shine was satisfying.
Days passed—three, four...... Each day, Pyus doubled, now thirty-two following me. Thanks to them, tilling finished in a flash.
Time to plant seeds.
I distributed the precious seeds from my bosom to the Pyus and scored lines in the soil with the hoe. Sixteen Pyus diligently planted and covered them. The rest, from the now lake-worthy pond, absorbed water and sprinkled it over the spots.
My turn.
I carefully metered my mana and used [Breath of the Forest]. Tiny sprouts began emerging from the moist soil.
"Whew, success."
I wiped sweat from my brow with dirty hands. Tilling and sprouting by hand after so long felt fresh. Towering sprouts, clear water in the lake, cool breeze...... I'd forgotten all about the darkness.
'By sunset, flowers should bloom.'
Leading thirty-two Pyus back to the temple, I noted the sprouts already budding. Gazing at the scene, I felt like a proud parent.
The sun set. Darkness approached. Missing the flowers blooming was regrettable.
-Rattle!
As if sensing my regret, the bolted door shook violently.